One who had demanded a sacrifice she couldn’t in good conscience fault him for. Right in this moment, Niesha couldn’t find it in her heart to begrudge the people of Khalia, who had endured the death of their Queen, and seen the kingdom plunged into uncertainty after the abdication of the King.
‘Of course, if that’s what you wish,’ she murmured softly.
His eyes gleamed in that suspicious way again, as if he were divining her thoughts way better than she could. It made her extremely nervous. Niesha attempted to look away, but found herself hypnotised by the gold flecks in his tawny eyes.
‘That is what I wish,’ he reiterated in deep, low tones. ‘Now you will smile, and nod, and pretend that this is the happiest day of your life.’
For some insane reason, that command wasn’t difficult to obey.
When the corners of his mouth lifted, Niesha found herself following suit. His gaze dropped to her lips, and stayed there for an infinitesimal second, before he lifted his gaze back to hers.
‘Much better,’ he drawled. ‘I will push my luck and request that you eat more than the few mouthfuls you have consumed so far. If the food does not suit, you only need to say and I will instruct a new dish to be brought to you.’
Her eyes widened. What would her peers—the servants—think if she made such a request? She cringed. ‘No, that will not be necessary.’
‘I do not do it out of necessity. I do it because you are my Queen and what you wish goes.’
What she wished right now was for him to stop referring to her as the Queen or his Queen. It would be better all round that way. Safer, even. The last thing she wanted was to start believing, even for a second that this temporary role was in any way real. She needed to maintain the distance to ensure she left this nightmare with her faculties intact. ‘This is fine, I’m sure,’ she insisted firmly.
Zufar nodded, and turned to speak to his brother, who sat to his left. The sudden bereft sensation that assailed her took Niesha by complete surprise. It took a few precious seconds to master her composure, after which she lifted her gaze to the guest seated closest by. But that chair was empty, vacated by Galila a few moments ago.
She was about to turn away, but her attention was snagged by Zufar’s uncle, the same one who’d attempted to pry information from Zufar earlier. Niesha attempted a smile. He returned it with a speculative gaze, his eyes darting from Zufar and back again.
‘You must come to dinner when you return from your honeymoon.’
Honeymoon?
She tried to master the shock that bolted through her.
Of course the King and Queen were expected to go on their honeymoon. She had no clue where Zufar had intended to take Amira. Was she supposed to know of the destination for her own honeymoon?
‘I...I...’ she stuttered. A moment later, a warm hand covered hers, the gentle but insistent pressure on her fingers applying subtle warning.
‘We’ll be happy to accept your invitation, Uncle, on our return. Providing of course that our schedules allow,’ Zufar slid in smoothly, proving that even though he’d been in conversation with his brother, he had been fully tuned into what was happening with her.
Was he that terrified she would bungle the ruse? A spark of irritation lit up beneath her skin. When she attempted to withdraw her hand from under his, he held on firmly, turning his imperious head to look at her with what everyone else would have assumed was an adoring look from a groom to his new bride. But she saw the warning clear in his eyes. Behave.
She lowered her head under the guise of forking another bite of her superb sea bass. But she never lifted it to her lips, because she feared she would choke if she attempted to swallow.
‘Where’s the honeymoon destination?’ the woman seated next to Zufar’s uncle asked.
‘We will spend a few days in the Emerald Palace, and then I will take my bride on a multi-national tour, ending in the most romantic capital of the world, of course,’ Zufar said.
‘Oh, you mean Paris, don’t you? I love Paris,’ his aunt exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. ‘I haven’t been in months.’
‘And there’s a reason for that,’ his uncle said dryly. ‘My bank account screams in agony whenever you’re in the French capital.’
Laughter greeted the response. Amid it all, Niesha noticed Zufar watching her with that same pseudo-adoring, warning look. When his uncle turned away to address another guest, she tried to withdraw her hand once again.
Even though her irritation had faded, a new sensation had taken root at his touch. He no longer wore his gloves, making the sensation even more searing. The burst of relief poured through her when he didn’t restrain her. She dropped her hand into her lap, her fingers curling into her palm as her blood sang wildly.
Realising that he was still staring at her, she pinned that smile on her face again, and returned his look. ‘You don’t need to keep watching me like a hawk, you know. I’m not about to announce to the whole world what is happening here.’
‘I’m glad to hear it, but since we did not discuss a honeymoon, I thought it best to step in. Surely you don’t have an objection to that?’ he murmured testily.
‘But what will they say when they find out that it’s not true?’ she said tightly.
The taut little smile he gave her reproached her for being foolish. ‘That will not happen, little one, because it’s true. We are going on honeymoon.’